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1. Have you done an audit of the department to review potential inequities as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion?

The Human Rights Committee (HRC) is doing something very similar to this, and we are providing the reports and data that we collect to the HRC.

The Lexington Police Department is subordinate to the Town Manager, who is also initiating a review of Town policies. Our Town Counsel, including Attorney Carmen Ortiz (former U.S. Attorney for the Boston District), is reviewing police policies for any unintended bias or discriminatory policies.

2. What is the breakdown of staff in the Lexington Police Department by rank? What is the diversity makeup of the Department?

• Chief, white male
• Captains, 2 white male, 1 vacancy
• Lieutenants, 3 white males; 1 white female; 1 vacancy
• Sergeant, 6 white males; 1 black female; 1 white female
• Detectives, 2 white males; 1 white female, 1 black male
• Officers, 23 white males; 3 Asian males; 1 Hispanic male; 1 black male; 1 white female
• Dispatchers
  • Dispatcher supervisor 1 Hispanic male
  • Dispatcher, 6 white males; 2 white females; 1 vacancy
• Cadets, 2 males; 2 female;
• Support staff, 4 females; 2 males

3. Does Town Counsel have the DEI expertise to recognize policies that might have unintended consequences for historically marginalized people? Specific expertise is needed for many DEI policy issues.

We are working with Carmen Ortiz at our Town Counsel’s office, she is formally the US Attorney for Massachusetts and is very well qualified.

4. How do the racial demographics of the Lexington Police match up with Lexington's racial demographics? If they do not match up very well, what are the hiring goals for the future?

We believe diversity goes far beyond racial demographics. To answer this specific question, according to the Census Reporter (CR) for 2018, our officer demographics compare to Lexington's demographics:

• Officers: 4% Black; Community 1%
• Officers: 4% Asian; Community 29%
• Officers: 2% Hispanic; Community 2%
• Officers: 80% White; Community 64%
• Officers 10% vacancy

As of November 2020, we have five officer vacancies with a sixth in February 2021. We welcome diverse candidates to apply. One reason the Town left Civil Service was to diversify the Police Department's ranks. We have advertised widely and have seen more diverse candidates in the most recent recruitment.

5. What are we doing to retain a diverse workforce?

The best strategies are intended to make all employees feel welcome and valued. Supervisors must speak to staff and understand what helps them want to perform better. Discriminatory practices must be eliminated and offensive conduct prohibited.

We strongly encourage supervisors, who are also responsible for performance evaluations, to take the time to understand their staff. The success of each officer reflects on the quality of supervision being provided. We seek to promote those individuals who demonstrate merit and leadership skills.